Away from the Westminster battlefront, David Cameron relaxed over a pint with a group of Chelsea pensioners. Photograph: Anthony Devlin/PA

MPs yesterday imposed an annual cap of £2,400 on household goods they can claim for their second homes, as they voted to abandon the controversial "John Lewis list" system of expenses.

The Tories, who previously had called for an end to any furniture claims by MPs under the additional costs allowance (ACA), accused the government of treating voters like fools by replacing "the John Lewis list with the Ikea list".

The row erupted during an ill-tempered debate, called by the Tories, who tried to outflank Labour yesterday by publishing the details of the expenses of all but seven Tory MPs for the past three months.

A Conservative move to ban the furniture claims under the annual £24,000 ACA was rejected by MPs, and a series of less radical proposals by the government were accepted. These included an end to the "John Lewis list", the system whereby the parliamentary authorities approve the purchase of household goods, including beds, freezers and televisions, for MPs' second homes if bought in one of the group's stores. The plans also entail the 10% annual cap (£2,400) on claims for household goods, and an external audit by the National Audit Office of not only the ACA but of travel, staffing costs and the communications allowance that helps MPs send leaflets to constituents.

Harriet Harman, the leader of the commons, defended the decision to maintain the household goods allowance by taking a swipe at the Tories. "I believe in equality. We believe that to be MPs we should not have to depend on private wealth to do our job and carry out the responsibilities placed upon us by our constituents."

Theresa May, shadow leader of the Commons, said: "The government is treating people like fools; they are just replacing the John Lewis list with the Ikea list. MPs should not be able to buy their TVs and furniture at taxpayers' expense."

David Cameron called yesterday's debate to try to embarrass Gordon Brown a fortnight after 33 ministers joined forces with a cross-party group of backbenchers to maintain the "John Lewis list". At the time the Tories accused the government whips of striking a deal with Labour backbenchers in which they were given free rein to preserve their £24,000 ACA in exchange for rejecting an above-inflation pay increase.

May told MPs: "Our failure to recognise the concern outside the House about our processes, and that people expect us to adopt the best practice shown in the private and public sectors, has led to cynicism and, I believe, damage to the reputation of the House."

Ann Widdecombe, the former Tory minister, attacked the Tory leadership for trying to ban MPs from claiming for household furniture for their second homes.

Widdecombe said: "The rules say that one cannot whistle up a £10,000 kitchen from John Lewis, or a £5,000 bathroom. If a kitchen or bathroom is replaced, the rules say very clearly that those costs must be divided between genuine replacement and betterment, and the betterment element must be paid for by the [MP].

"But out there, egged on by the press and by the silly, crawling, gutless response of the House, everybody believes these things can be whistled up with no rules, restraints or accountability.

"We should have had the guts to defend ourselves, just as we should have the guts to do so when the press talk about our lavish perks and include our secretaries. There have been some [MPs] for whom their secretary has been a perk, but precious few of them."

The Tories timed the debate to coincide with the publication of their "right to know" form which lists the office and second-home expenses of all but seven of the party's 193 MPs. Cameron, the Tory leader, told the Guardian this week that the move showed the Tories were setting an example. "It's basically providing the transparency which I hope will help bring to an end, steadily, the sense that MPs are on the take and on the make. We've led the way on this. We've gone further than the House of Commons has gone. We've gone further than the government has gone. And we've got out in front by getting out there and publishing the stuff."

A separate resolution is set to be passed today banning the release, under the Freedom of Information Act, of personal details about MPs, peers and Welsh assembly members; this includes their addresses, travel arrangements and suppliers of furniture and equipment.

The restrictions appear more extensive than those promised by Harman, whose plan was to protect MPs' addresses from publication for fear of terrorist attacks or abuse from constituents. Originally the high court ordered MPs' addresses to be published because of suspicion that some politicians could be fiddling the system by claiming for properties they did not occupy. Harman decided to extend the ban to names of personnel and companies supplying services to MPs.

The Labour MP Michael Gapes asked Harman to ban "the address of a locksmith or glazier whose receipts would be published as part of our general submissions and could give people information [they needed] to get access to the property or constituency office of an MP for bad purposes".

Balance of accounts

Seven Conservative MPs did not make a declaration:

Sir Paul Beresford (Mole Valley) no need to fill out form because he made no expenses claim

Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield) and Lady (Ann) Winterton (Congleton) Wintertons recently criticised for claiming just under £130,000 in expenses over the past six years to cover rent for London flat which was paid to a trust for which they were trustees and their children the beneficiaries

Anthony Steen (Totnes)

Bill Cash (Stone) has agreed to make declaration

Chris Chope (Christchurch)

Sir John Stanley (Tonbridge and Malling)

· 186 Conservative MPs filled out the "right to know" forms on their expenses over the past three months. These are a selection:

James Arbuthnot (North East Hampshire) £22.40 bike mileage

Peter Bone(Wellingborough) £564 for repairs to window

David Cameron(Witney) mobile phone: £98 in April, £89 in May and £90 in June

· This article was amended on Saturday July 19 2008. We said, in error, that Daniel Kawczynski, Conservative MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham, claimed £945 for food when in fact he spent £516.62. This has been corrected.